Colo. civil union licenses expected to begin being issued in May

Colorado gay and lesbian couples should be able to legally form civil unions May 1, after a bill in the legislature is expected to be signed by the governor no later than mid-March.

Openly gay state lawmaker Jessie Ulibarri (right) will chair the first Senate Judiciary committee on the 2013 Colorado Civil Union Act. Earlier, Ulibarri shared a moment with Congressman Ed Perlmutter on opening day of the Colorado General Assembly.Photo by Evan Semon, Out Front Colorado

According to a version of the bill posted to the Colorado General Assembly on Wednesday, the legislation, sponsored by out state lawmakers Sens. Pat Steadman and Lucia Guzman and Reps. Mark Ferrandino and Sue Schafer, will take effect sooner than most other new laws that customarily begin each year on Aug. 1.

Gov. John Hickenlooper has pledged to sign the bill at once.

This is the third year the Colorado Civil Union Act has been introduced.

Previously, GOP House leadership has blocked the bill from reaching Hickenlooper. First, the bill died at a committee hearing in 2011 after having bipartisan support in the Senate. Then, in 2012, Republicans ran out the clock on the bill after it cleared three Republican committees. The governor called a special session to re-introduce the bill, but then-Speaker of the House Frank McNulty sent the bill to a kill committee where it was quickly dismissed.

This year, Democrats are in control of both chambers of the Colorado General Assembly. Coupled with Ferrandino being elected speaker of the House today, the bill is expected to move quickly through the legislative process.

In his opening remarks, Ferrandino urged bipartisan support on a variety of issues including civil union legislation.